New device can detect sepsis from single blood drop

Scientists have developed a newportable device that can quickly detect signs of deadly, unpredictable sepsis infection from a single drop of blood. Researchers from the University of Illinois and Carle Foundation Hospital in the US completed a clinical study of the device, which is the first to provide rapid, point-of-care measurement of the immune system’s response, without any need to process the blood.

This can help doctors identify sepsis at its onset, monitor infected patients and could even point to a prognosis, said Rashid Bashir, a professor at University of Illinois. Sepsis is triggered by an infection in the body. The body’s immune system releases chemicals that fight the infection, but also cause widespread inflammation that can rapidly lead to organ failure and death.